Operation Hide and Seek
by Mara Greengrass
Summary: When Thor comes to the SGC to drop off some supplies, he accidentally leaves something else behind.


TITLE: Operation Hide and Seek  
AUTHOR: Mara Greengrass  
AUTHOR'S E-MAIL: fishfolk@ix.netcom.com. Feedback is better than chocolate.  
PERMISSION TO ARCHIVE: Heliopolis, yes. Others, just let me know.  
CATEGORY: Humor/drama  
RATINGS/WARNINGS: G  
SUMMARY: When Thor comes to the SGC to drop off some supplies, he accidentally leaves something else behind.  
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I'm making absolutely no money from this.  
NOTES: The basic idea was my husband Avi's inspiration, and he suggested several important details. I found the concept irresistible, and I hope you agree. Thanks to Taryn and Captain Average for their usual excellent job of keeping me accurate and grammatically correct. Taryn asked about continuity, and the answer is...this story takes place whenever you think it would fit into the show's continuity. If you think it doesn't, call it AU.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The briefing room was filled with satisfied people, all smiling benevolently on a small gray figure seated at the front of the room on what looked remarkably like a throne.  
  
"Thor, buddy," Jack said, leaning back in his leather chair, "it's always good to see you." He'd jogged right down as soon as he got word that Thor was on his way and wanted to meet with SG-1.  
  
"It is good to see you as well, O'Neill, and I am also pleased to bring you new medical technology. The materials are being transferred to your infirmary at this moment."   
  
A head popped into the room. "General Hammond, Doctor Fraiser reports--"  
  
"Yes, Sergeant, I know. Tell her it's okay."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
Thor inclined his head regally. "While it is good to visit my friends on Earth, I'm afraid that I must return to the Asgard homeworld. Goodbye."  
  
A ragged chorus of farewells rang out as light flashed, and Thor's chair disappeared.  
  
When Sam jumped out of her chair, eager to see what new toys had arrived, Jack and Daniel grinned at each other.  
  
"With your permission, General?" Sam asked, almost bouncing in place.  
  
"Permission granted. Get me a report as soon as you know what we've got."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
But before any of them could step away, light flashed again--another Asgard transport.  
  
"What's up, Thor?" Jack asked.  
  
But when the light faded away, and the human eyes re-adjusted, it wasn't Thor that sat at the end of the table. This figure was a slightly darker gray, the body less than a quarter the size of Thor--and it sat not on a chair, but on the floor.  
  
Everyone tensed, and the guard behind General Hammond raised his weapon.  
  
"Can we help you?" Hammond asked.  
  
To everyone's surprise, the Asgard just sat on the floor, blinking its large eyes up at them. There was a long moment of silence.  
  
"I believe it is an immature member of the Asgard race," Teal'c said finally.  
  
"You mean it's a baby Asgard." Jack said, staring. The Asgard didn't react, just stared up at him.  
  
"I believe that is what I said, O'Neill."  
  
Another long silence. "Why is there a baby Asgard on my base?" General Hammond asked, a bit plaintively.  
  
"I suppose because it transported down from Thor's ship," Daniel said, lips twitching.  
  
"Very funny, Doctor." The general didn't look amused. "Any ideas what we're supposed to do now?"  
  
"Babysit, sir?" Sam didn't look all that amused either.  
  
"What do we do with a baby Asgard?" Jack looked around the room, hoping someone else would have a clue, but each face was filled with helpless astonishment. "Anybody even know what they eat? Carter? You've been to the homeworld with Thor."  
  
"It wasn't exactly a pleasure visit, sir--he didn't take me home to meet the family. We were trying to save the planet."  
  
The baby stared up at Jack and crawled toward him, causing him to jump out of his seat and take a step back. "Well, what the f--"  
  
"Sir!" Sam said, just as Daniel said, "Jack..."  
  
"What?" Jack was getting alarmed now, as the baby Asgard, ignoring everyone else, crawled up to him and used his pants legs as a lever to stand up.  
  
Daniel and Sam looked at each other. "Um, Jack, I don't think you should curse in front of the little...baby," Daniel said.  
  
The baby was blinking up at him, obviously entreating him to be picked up, just as his son had done so many years ago. "Oh, h...drat." He reached down and picked the Asgard up, carefully cradling it in his arms.   
  
Although the skin temperature was rather cooler than a human baby, and the joints in not quite the right places, it still felt right. The little one made a small sound and lay its head trustingly on his shoulder; Jack sat down rather heavily in his chair.  
  
There was a sound suspiciously like a snort from the other side of the room, and Jack scowled at the general and his guard, both of whom looked amused.  
  
Teal'c ignored all this byplay and nodded approvingly. "Very good, O'Neill. It is best if the little one finds someone to bond to, and you would be an appropriate choice."  
  
"Me? Why me?" Jack found himself lowering his voice to not bother the baby, and consciously brought it back up. "Why not Carter?"  
  
"Don't look at me." She waved him away. "I never even changed my nephew's diapers."  
  
Jack closed his eyes and groaned. "It's not wearing diapers. And I do not want to know anything about Asgard physiology. Really. I don't."  
  
"Well," Daniel said, "presumably Thor will notice that this child is missing."  
  
"When?" Jack and General Hammond asked.  
  
Daniel frowned and tapped his pen on the table. "Ah, that rather depends."  
  
"Daniel." Jack was reaching the end of his rope. The child had become fascinated by his hair, and insisted on tugging on it, making him shake his head irritably.  
  
"There's always the possibility that the child--we can't keep referring to it as the child, we're going to have to come up with a name."  
  
"Doctor Jackson!"  
  
"Right. It's possible the child was a stowaway. I mean, Thor *is* the Supreme Commander, so presumably he commands a warship. Not a lot of children on those, I'd think."  
  
"Stowaway?" The headache building in Jack's neck turned into a piercing dagger through his temples.  
  
"Or Thor might notice any moment now."  
  
A pause, while everyone waited. Burbling quietly, the baby poked at bits of Jack's body, apparently testing out the differences between fabric, skin, and hair.  
  
General Hammond sighed. "Major Carter and I will try to contact Thor, while you three take the child down to Dr. Fraiser. See if she can figure out what it eats."  
  
"Thank you, sir!" Sam said. "I mean, yes, sir."   
  
Glaring at her retreating back, Jack wondered if he could accuse her of cowardice...the general's retreat was only a little more dignified.  
  
Daniel stepped around the table to peer at the baby, who was petting Jack's head. Kneeling by Jack's side, Daniel tried to get the child's attention, finally resorting to touching its hand.  
  
Jack looked down at the baby, who'd finally deigned to pay attention to Daniel, head tilting to look at him sideways.  
  
"I'm Daniel," he said, touching his chest. He reached out to touch the baby's chest. "Who are you?"  
  
Silence. He tried again. "Daniel." Touching Jack's shoulder: "Jack." Pointing across the room: "Teal'c."  
  
No response. "And the universal translation method fails," Jack said. "I never thought I'd live to see the day. Maybe the kid just doesn't talk."  
  
"It's possible. Well, shall we go see Dr. Fraiser?"  
  
"Might as well."  
  
Daniel waved at the doorway. "After you."  
  
Jack sighed heavily, wondering exactly how much damage he was about to do to his hard-ass reputation. Sure, having a soft spot for kids was okay, but...  
  
"Is something wrong, O'Neill?"  
  
"No, Teal'c, everything's just peachy."  
  
And Jack--feeling like a mother duck--led the way to the infirmary.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Unexpectedly, their arrival at the infirmary went unnoticed, eclipsed as it was by the hubbub in progress: Doctors, nurses, and assorted lab techs sorting boxes with Asgard markings, strange tubes and vials on almost every surface, every face practically glowing with excitement.  
  
Dr. Fraiser's voice cut right through the chaos. "It says it does *what*? If you're reading that right, I'm going to kiss Thor next time he visits."  
  
"You might want to hold that thought," Jack called. "Thor left us a bit of problem."  
  
Heads turned, and within moments, everyone in the room was staring at him, jaws dropping and eyes widening.  
  
"Yes, it's a baby Asgard," Jack said rather testily. "We've had that conversation."  
  
The baby chose this moment to lift its head and look at the assembled medical and scientific personnel. With a moan of scientific glee, the crowd surged toward him and the baby squawked, grabbing onto Jack's shirt.  
  
He stepped back automatically. "Stop!" His arms wrapped firmly around the baby, who was shaking and uttering a pitiful sound. "All of you, out! Everybody but Dr. Fraiser."  
  
Stepping out of the way, he allowed the people to pass through the doorway. Each craned their head to look at the baby, which had buried its head in Jack's shoulder.   
  
"For cryin' out loud, you'd think they'd never seen an alien before."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Half an hour later, Dr. Fraiser was still gingerly examining the baby, who refused to let go of Jack.  
  
Teal'c stood guard in the doorway, preventing any of the curious visitors who just "happened" to drop by from entering the infirmary. Even a few people who came legitimately found themselves turning and walking the other way when the large man with the intimidating stare eyed them--looking as if he was considering the exact amount of force required to turn them into jelly.  
  
Daniel couldn't seem to stay still, jumping between the computer--where he reviewed everything known about the Asgard (not much)--and Jack's side, trying to reassure the little one.  
  
"Can you even tell if it's a he or a she?" Jack asked, from his seat on a bed, gray baby nestled in his arms.  
  
Dr. Fraiser pursed her lips. "Well, I think we've got a better than average chance of being right if we say it's a boy."  
  
"Then we can pick a name," Daniel said.  
  
"You're really stuck on this name thing, aren't you?"  
  
"Names are important, Jack."  
  
"If they're so important, why don't we wait 'til Thor gets here to tell us who the little bugger is and call him by his real name?"  
  
Daniel just looked at him with that hurt puppy look, and Jack groaned.  
  
"I agree with Daniel," Dr. Fraiser said. "I think calling him by any name is better than no name."  
  
"I agree, O'Neill."  
  
"Fine, I'm outnumbered. What do we call him?"  
  
Daniel pondered the little thing, who seemed to realize something was up, because he lifted his head and examined them all with his wide, liquid eyes.  
  
"Hmm. What about Forseti?"  
  
"Not Joe?" Everyone just looked at Jack in a long-suffering way. "Bob?"  
  
"In Norse mythology, Forseti was Thor's nephew. He was the god of justice, the son of Balder, god of light, joy, and purity. Balder was Thor's half-brother."  
  
"Justice, huh? That's a pretty heavy burden to put on such a little guy." Jack looked down at the child. "Do you want to be Forseti?"  
  
"Fssti," the baby suddenly said, alarming Jack so much, he nearly dropped him.  
  
"Forseti," Daniel said, bending closer.  
  
The Asgard just looked at Daniel and didn't say anything else.  
  
"Well, Forseti it is, I suppose," Dr. Fraiser said, making a note on the chart she held. "As for food, I can give you a list of foods that won't poison him. And from what I can tell, Forseti here has a rather fast metabolism, so I think he should be fed soon."  
  
"To the mess hall," Jack said, resignation long since set in.  
  
Another procession down the hallway, this time with Daniel clutching the list of acceptable foods, and Teal'c continuing to glare at anyone who approached. As they rounded the corner to the mess hall, Sam caught up with them.  
  
She fell in beside Jack, not hiding her grin nearly well enough. "So, how is...he or she?"  
  
"Forseti. We're calling him Forseti."  
  
"Another of the Norse gods. Nice choice." Sam nodded approvingly.  
  
Jack shook his head. "I can't believe you knew that. Where do you geeks learn this stuff anyway?"  
  
Sam ignored the comment. "What did Dr. Fraiser say?"  
  
"Well," Daniel said from behind her as they pushed through the mess hall doors, "apparently bananas are okay, but most other fruit isn't. In the vegetable category, she suggests peas, carrots, beans."  
  
"Carter doesn't need every detail of the diet, Daniel. What I want to know is, any progress in reaching Thor?"  
  
"I'm not certain, sir. I can't tell if our message got through, but we'll keep trying."  
  
"Do that." Jack frowned at everyone in the mess hall, most of whom had stopped what they were doing to watch him. He freed a hand from holding Forseti to wave. "Go about your business. Nothing to see here."  
  
He could feel the weight of Teal'c glare from behind him, and everyone looked back at their food or the table or the ceiling...Fine, Jack decided, whatever worked.  
  
Sam started to pull out a chair for him, but in a cranky moment he yanked it out of her hand and sat down. Forseti peeked over his shoulder, but all the staring faces apparently frightened him, so he ducked back down. Jack sighed.  
  
"Somebody get the kid some food so we can get out of here. I feel like I'm on display."  
  
Daniel bustled off, returning with a tray filled with small dishes. "Well, we don't know what he's going to like, so I thought we'd try an assortment."  
  
Forseti picked his head up off Jack's chest, showing the first signs of excitement. He reached for the tray.   
  
"That's a good sign, don't you think?" Sam asked.  
  
"It could simply be the novelty," Teal'c said. "That is common in children."  
  
"Or the bright colors," Jack said.  
  
Daniel and Sam looked a bit blank, and Jack turned to Teal'c, sharing a moment of long-suffering patience with the childless and clueless. A twinge low in his stomach at the memory of his lost son, and he looked down at Forseti, who'd happily picked up a banana and was gumming it.  
  
"Nope, that's not gonna work," Jack said, pulling it out of Forseti's hands. "Do we need to mash it? He's not really well-fixed for teeth."  
  
"I will prepare it," Teal'c said. With a few economical motions, he peeled the banana, sliced pieces onto a plate, and mashed them. "Rya'c often ate a dish such as this, of mashed olania."  
  
Forseti watched Teal'c's movements with great interest, and made a kind of cooing sound when the plate was placed in front of him.  
  
Everyone held their breath as Forseti picked up a glob in his fingers and considered it from all angles very seriously. He squirmed around in Jack's lap and looked up at him, as if to ask his permission.  
  
"Go ahead, you can eat it," Jack said.  
  
Forseti looked at him for a few seconds, then very seriously smeared the mashed banana across Jack's left cheek. Lost in shock, Jack just stared at him, but stifled laughter drew his attention to Sam and Daniel.  
  
The two of them were almost choking, and even Teal'c looked suspiciously amused. The rest of the room was trying to watch without getting caught at it.  
  
Jack tried to glare, but even he couldn't manage it, and felt his lips twitching. Forseti looked at all of them, and his apparent confusion just made the situation that much more absurd.  
  
Forseti seemed to get bored with their reaction, finally stuffing the rest of the banana mush into his mouth. That went over well, so he continued to eat off the plate.  
  
Catching her breath, a red-faced Sam went to get a glass of water, dipping a couple of napkins in it.  
  
Jack shook his head as he took the napkins, then wiped off his cheek, grimacing at the sticky-sweet smell of banana. Folding the napkins, he scrubbed. "The things I do for my planet."  
  
"A noble sacrifice, O'Neill," Teal'c said gravely.  
  
"And they say you don't have a sense of humor." Jack shook his head, then watched Forseti finish off the banana and look around for more. "So, folks, more banana or should we see if there's anything else he wants to use for decorative purposes?"  
  
"How about peas?" Daniel suggested. "They're pretty soft."  
  
"Especially the way they're cooked here." Jack pulled the dish of peas closer, grimacing a bit at their gray-green color. Forseti cocked his head at the bowl, then with long fingers, he carefully picked up a pea and considered it.  
  
"Here we go again," Jack said, bracing himself.  
  
To everyone's surprise, Forseti lifted his hand and let the round legume drop onto the table. When it bounced, Forseti cooed and squirmed a bit on Jack's lap. Immediately, he picked it up again and dropped it. This time, it landed with a bit of a splat.  
  
Sighing, Jack settled in for a long wait. "I'd forgotten that food is toy first, nourishment second."  
  
"Indeed," Teal'c said.   
  
Just over an hour later, Forseti had bounced (then eaten) most of the peas; eaten half of another banana; mounded the mashed carrots and potatoes into what Daniel swore was letters of the Asgard language, but Jack thought was a fleet of spaceships; and thrown a handful of lima beans at Dr. Mackenzie, the base psychiatrist.  
  
Daniel and Sam helped Mackenzie clean up as Jack beamed down at Forseti. "That's my boy!"  
  
Finally, Forseti showed no more interest in the food. Sam wetted a few more napkins and they managed to clean some stray bits of food off him. Content, he curled back up on Jack's shoulder and fell asleep.  
  
"Now, what?" Daniel asked.  
  
Jack shrugged one shoulder slightly. "We find him somewhere to sleep, I guess. Where's the nearest VIP room?"  
  
Yet another procession, down one corridor, up two floors in the elevator, and halfway down another corridor. Jack decided he was heartily sick of surprised faces, and sighed with relief when they entered the darkened room.  
  
Daniel bustled around making the bed, while Teal'c stood solidly by the door and Sam hovered. Bed made, Jack sat down carefully and lowered Forseti down. In the shadowy room, the figure could have been any small child, and under the cover of darkness, Jack allowed hot tears to prick at his eyes for a moment.  
  
Forseti wiggled a bit when Jack put him down, then squawked when he tried to let go. Jack felt cool fingers grab at his arm, and he sighed. "Okay, I'll stay." Perching on the edge of the bed, leaning against the wall he felt Forseti curl up next to him.  
  
Sam and Daniel eased their way out of the room, and Teal'c inclined his head from the doorway, not needing words to indicate he planned to continue to stand guard. Soft sounds of a sleeping child lulled Jack, and he found his mind drifting.  
  
Jack's mind meandered. In a half-dreaming state, Daniel was explaining why prime rib was the food of the gods when a commotion woke Jack.  
  
Actually, it was the unusual sound of Teal'c's raised voice that got his attention, and beside him, Forseti stirred and made a sleepy sound. Jack patted his arm and eased off the bed.  
  
Teal'c had stepped outside the room, but the door wasn't completely shut, allowing sound and a sliver of light to peek through.  
  
"You will not pass," Teal'c said. A stranger might not have recognized it, but Jack could hear anger--whoever was trying to get in the room had better watch out.  
  
Shaking his head to clear it, Jack opened the door and stood beside Teal'c, carefully pulling the door closed to keep from further disturbing Forseti.  
  
"So, what's going on?" Jack asked, masking his worry with amiability.  
  
Facing them, frightened but determined, were two scientist geeks Jack didn't recognize. They were practically identical, short, dark hair, glasses, nondescript clothing, and a look of single-minded officiousness. No wonder Teal'c was pissed.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill," the scientist on the left said. "I'm Dr. Aram and this is my colleague Dr. Barnes. We're here to examine the Asgard."  
  
"They wish to remove Forseti from the base," Teal'c said, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the two. Jack was happy to see them both swallow convulsively.  
  
"No," Jack said.  
  
"No...what, sir?" Dr. Barnes asked, looking at Dr. Aram and back at him.  
  
"Actually, Dr. Barney, it doesn't really matter. Whatever you're going to ask, the answer is no." Jack smiled his best idiot's smile at them. The idiot routine should keep them busy, and besides, he loved how pissed people got when he mispronounced words.  
  
Dr. Barnes gaped, showing some silver fillings, as Dr. Aram regrouped. "Colonel, we work for the NID and we have orders to examine the Asgard in your custody for valuable information."  
  
"Dr. Fraiser has already examined him. And I repeat: No. No, you can't remove him. No, you can't study him. No, you can't touch him. Hell, if you so much as breathe on him, I'll personally rip your head off."  
  
"With my assistance," Teal'c said.  
  
The scientists looked indignant. "I can have you court-martialed for this," Dr. Aram sputtered.  
  
"Good," Jack said with another idiot grin. "I could use a vacation. Meanwhile, go away." Besides, Jack thought, better men than you have tried to get rid of me.  
  
Teal'c stepped forward, towering over them. It was too much for the two men, who backed away a few steps, then turned and beat a hasty retreat. In their haste, they nearly ran down Sam and Daniel, who rounded the corner and jumped out of their way.  
  
"Sir," Sam called when she got close enough, "General Hammond got word the NID was going to try to get their hands on Forseti."  
  
"Jack, we can't allow that," Daniel said, brow furrowed.  
  
"Jeez, guys, of course not." Jack shook his head. "We've already rousted the NID."  
  
"What?" Both Sam and Daniel looked around, as if expecting to see a pile of prone NID soldiers, and Jack couldn't decide if that amused or depressed him.  
  
"Those two guys who just left. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get out of this room before they come back with guards, General Hammond, and written orders."  
  
"Agreed, O'Neill."  
  
Jack opened the door, and saw Forseti sitting up on the bed, eyes shining in the light coming through the doorway. "It's okay, guy, I think it's just time for us to go somewhere else on the base."  
  
He could hear the others discussing what to do next as he leaned over and picked up Forseti.  
  
"The base isn't that big. We can't hide him indefinitely," Sam said.  
  
"I don't think we need to," Daniel said. "We just need to keep him away from NID until Thor comes back."  
  
"But we don't know when that will be."  
  
"We will keep him safe as long as necessary," Teal'c said.  
  
Jack nodded as he stepped out of the room. "You know, guys, this *is* the military, it's time to act like it, and use a little strategy."  
  
Sam looked intrigued. "What did you have in mind, sir?"  
  
And thus began what might have been the oddest mission ever conducted by the SGC, known afterwards as Operation Hide and Seek. SG-1 tracked down as many of the staff as they could be certain weren't in the pay of the NID, and the games began.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jack lounged against a wall near an elevator, eyebrows raised as the two scientists stomped up to him, flanked by NID soldiers.  
  
"Where is it?" Dr. Barnes shouted, his red with exertion or anger.  
  
"*He* is not up for grabs," Jack said.  
  
"What the hell did you do to the security cameras?" Dr. Aram asked, not much calmer than his colleague.  
  
Jack blinked in feigned innocence. "Who me? I haven't been anywhere near the cameras."  
  
A low growl from Dr. Barnes. "At any one time, half the cameras are displaying episodes of Star Trek."  
  
Jack perked up. "Really? The Original Series? Next Generation?"  
  
"We'll deal with you later." Dr. Aram's glare was a valiant attempt, but it didn't match the menace of even the lowliest Goa'uld, so Jack ignored it. "We'll find it ourselves, since we know it hasn't been taken out of the base or off-world."  
  
Jack just grinned at the confirmation of NID spies on the base, and made a mental note to find them later. "Go ahead," he said, waving regally.  
  
They stomped off down the corridor. "Good luck," Jack whispered.  
  
From around a corner, he could hear them interrogating a passing SGC staffer. "I think I heard they were hiding it in the infirmary," Sgt. Siler said with great seriousness.   
  
Jack waited until they were long gone before rounding the corner. "And what's in the infirmary?" he asked Siler.  
  
"When I left, Dr. Fraiser was rearranging beds. It'll take 'em 20 minutes to search there. Oh, and we've draped a couple of 'injured' members of SG-7 across beds, too. They're planning to be disruptive."  
  
"Excellent." Jack sauntered down the corridor and ducked into an access shaft.  
  
Later reports were a bit muddled, but the progress (if you could call it that) of the NID troops was tracked from the infirmary--where it actually took them 40 minutes to finish searching--to the mess hall--where one of the cooks hit Dr. Aram with a ladle and dumped chicken noodle soup on his head.  
  
After a five-minute break to clean off the soup, an earnest member of the communications staff sidled up to them and suggested that he'd seen Jack and Forseti sneaking down a certain corridor on a lower level. When the doctors and soldiers arrived, they found the emergency waste reclamation facility. Daniel was extraordinarily proud of making that suggestion, and could hardly be shut up about it for days.  
  
From there, a passing soldier suggested they might try the other VIP rooms, under the purloined letter principle. This seemed eminently reasonable, and caused them to spend over an hour tramping up and down hallways, finding a great many dust bunnies, a few abandoned books, and an ET figurine borrowed from someone's desk. *That*, to no one's surprise, was Jack's idea.  
  
Next, they were diverted to Sam and Daniel's labs, where they found nothing of interest to them. Daniel offered them coffee and a lecture on ancient Babylonia until they fled, and Sam played with her naquada reactor, causing it to emit unnerving sounds--as if it were about to overload. She was especially proud of the "Oops" that made Dr. Aram look as if he were about to have a heart attack.  
  
Jack and Forseti were in a storage closet on Level 18--where Forseti had just learned how to flick rubber bands--when they got the call.  
  
"Sir, Thor's on his way," Sam called. Forseti looked up, and Jack wondered if he'd understood that.  
  
"ETA?"  
  
"About half an hour. I'll get everyone to run interference for you down to the briefing room and meet you there."  
  
"Understood."  
  
* * * * *  
  
General Hammond arrived in the briefing room mere moments after Jack. He shook his head, suppressing a smile. "I *don't* want to know where you two have been. You do realize I'm going to have to explain all this trouble to the Pentagon, don't you?"  
  
"Yes, sir," Jack said, sitting down in his chair, Forseti curled up against his chest. "But wouldn't you rather be doing that than explaining to Thor that we hurt one of their children?"  
  
"You've got that right."  
  
Jack looked down at Forseti. The youngster had resisted leaving the closet, with all its nifty things to play with, but once they were out, settled down happily enough.  
  
Teal'c stalked into the room, followed by a pleased-looking Daniel.  
  
"How's it going?" Jack asked.  
  
Daniel dropped into his seat. "It finally occurred to them to start searching the access shafts."  
  
Jack chuckled. "That could take a while." He turned at the sound of someone jogging up the stairs to see Sam. "Hey, Carter, good job on the cameras. Star Trek, that was a nice touch."  
  
"Thank you, sir, I thought you'd like it. Oh, they've brought in more soldiers to search, but they won't get to this room for hours yet."  
  
"Hopefully, Thor will be here before that," General Hammond said.  
  
A flash of light and Jack muttered, "Ask and ye shall receive."  
  
There was Thor. Forseti sat up straight, then started to struggle. Jack swallowed, then stood up, carrying the baby Asgard over to Thor.  
  
"Thank you for contacting me," Thor said. "We had not yet missed him, as he was believed to be safely in his quarters. I am pleased to see him safe." He held out his arms, and Jack carefully placed Forseti in them.  
  
"If you don't mind my asking," Daniel said as Jack returned to his seat. "How did he get down here?"  
  
"He is a bright child, and had witnessed my use of the transport system on numerous occasions. He was able to activate the repeating sequence before my ship left your planet's orbit."  
  
"What was a child doing on your ship in the first place?" Jack asked.  
  
"He was traveling with me in order to return home. The child is the son of one of my pod-mates."  
  
Jack blinked a few times, and stared at Daniel, a bit stunned. "So, he's your nephew."  
  
"I am not entirely familiar with your kinship terminology, but I believe so."  
  
Daniel's eyebrows nearly flew off. "Uh, Jack, I didn't...I don't..."  
  
"Just buy me a lottery ticket next week."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Thank you for caring for him," Thor said. "Once again, I am in your debt."  
  
"Shucks," Jack said, managing a straight face through great effort, "'tweren't nothing."  
  
"Indeed, it was something. It is a measure of human compassion, that which will make humans the fifth race. I thank you again."  
  
Thor vanished, leaving thoughtful silence.  
  
For some reason, Jack found his arms a bit empty and he rubbed them absently.  
  
"Hey," Daniel said indignantly. Concerned, everyone turned to look at him. "We never found out Forseti's real name!"  
  
Jack groaned and thumped his head on the table. 


End file.
